T. H. White - How Bad Do You Want It Remixes...

There's a good chance you have no idea who T.H. White is. And that's just fine. Chances are you've heard his music before on The Sopranos; the SyFy series Being Human; in various BMW, Mazda and Reebok ads; and on NPR Radio, to name just a few. As a remixer he has reworked tracks for Tokyo Police Club, Faunts and The Phenomenal Handclap Band, among others.

The artist/producer/DJ released his critically-acclaimed fourth LP How Bad Do You Want It? last fall, and follows it up with this remix EP. Certain Creatures, Andre Obin, Dub City, Coachlight and Gold Soul serve as the EP's remixers this time out. The EP opens with "Extra Sensory (Dub City remix)," a near seven minute cut that is armed with braggadocio and moves in a sleek and cylindrical pattern. The song is most definitely nocturnal and towards the latter stages even borders on cinematic sci-fi. Its successor "Music Machines," opens like a tribal beat before turning circular, spacey and undeniably ambient. Of all the songs on the EP, it is the only one that doesn't really go anywhere. That is to say, it has its moments, but for the most part, it is one long flat effort.

Thankfully, the EP rises on "How it Feels (Coachlight remix)," a triumph of a song that features a danceable beat, a strain of jangle-pop and a sprinkle of vocals/spoken word. The best song on the EP though is "Character Diffusion (Andre Obin remix)," which has a commercial and urban vibe to it. While it is definitely a nocturnal song, it is also hallucinatory and hypnotic. The EP closes out with "Sense of Me (Gold Soul remix)," a lounge cut that is definitively urban, arguably sensual and ultimately, very rewarding.

While plenty of artists shelve a release and look onward to the next thing, White has decided to resurrect last fall's release and remix some of its best songs. Perhaps what's best about this EP is that each of the songs sound markedly different. That in and of itself is why How Bad Do You Want It Remixes? EP remains something worth coming back to. And in listening, one can't help but get anxious for White's next full-length. Mission accomplished.